Three Receive Awards at Annual Track Banquet

Nihal Kayali (photo by Sideline Photos/The Ivy League).

May 09, 2013

NEW HAVEN, Conn.—This past Tuesday, Yale women's track and field hosted its annual banquet to celebrate the end of the season, choose the team captain for the upcoming year, and announce the past year's awardees. Though the majority of the team's season ended last weekend with the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships, a few will go on to compete in the ECAC Championship meet this upcoming weekend. Among these qualifying athletes are all three Bulldogs who received awards at the banquet.

Junior Amanda Snajder was the recipient of the Stroube Family Award, awarded to an outstanding member of the team who excels in sportsmanship, courage and inspiration. Snajder was also chosen as the women's track and field captain for the upcoming season. Her many accomplishments this year include breaking the school record in the pentathlon at the Indoor Ivy League Heptagonal Championships. Snajder competes in the most events of any team member—including hurdles, jumps, sprints and throws.

The second award was the Lee Calhoun Award, which is given to a team member who demonstrates excellence in sprinting or hurdling. Sophomore Emily Cable came away with the award. She earned her title this year after breaking the record for the 400-meter dash during the indoor season. She is also on the top 10 lists in the event for the outdoor season. Moreover, Cable competes on both the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relay teams. At outdoor Heps last weekend, she contributed to the team effort to qualify for the ECAC Championship meet.

The final awardee was senior Nihal Kayali—winner of the James Stack Award. The award is presented to the athlete who best personifies Jim Stack, captain of the men's track and field team in 1961. During this year, Stack lead his team in claiming winning finishes in the Harvard-Yale meet, the Heptagonal Championship, and the IC4A Championship, a trio known as the "big three." Kayali also received the award last year. In her final year of competition, she claimed a personal best in the 3,000-meter run, an event she has also qualified to compete in at ECACs. In addition, Kayali will be eligible to race in the 5,000-meter run, as well as the 1,500-meter run, the event in which she holds the second-fastest time in Yale history.